Category: crime

Let me sleep. “Insomnia” (2002)

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directed by Christopher Nolan
© 2002 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Nolan cannot make a film that is clear and simple. It has to be a mix of several stories mingled into one, and yet you feel like he could easily add at least three more. I’ll try to introduce you to this film in the easiest way possible, but mind the fact that I’m explaining Nolan’s production. Anyway, there’s a crime in Nightmute, Alaska. A teenager is found murdered without any evidence left. Since the case seems complex, the local officers request help from two LA detectives – Will Dormer (Al Pacino) & Hap Eckhart (Martin Donovan). While trying to catch the murderer, Dormer makes a huge mistake – he shoots his colleague instead. The man suffers from insomnia, which led to his lack of clear thinking. Eckhart dies and Dormer knows he has to lie about this situation. If he admits that he’s the one shooting, that may be the end of his career. Especially, since Eckhart was about to testify againt Dormer in front of Internal Affairs, so it would be obvious that the murder wasn’t accidental. That is why the detective says his colleague was shot by the suspect. Unfortunately, not every clue supports this version. As I said, the story is complex, but very engaging as well. At some point, you’re not sure whether the protagonist is the good guy or the bad one. It seems like he’s an excellent detective, but on the other hand, he’s made a rookie mistake due to his personal issues. The longer you watch the film, the more it looks as if you, as a viewer, were dealing with insomnia. The pace of the story and even the light resemble such insomniac mood. Although this thriller was made over 20 years ago, you may still feel an incredible tension. Besides, in my opinion, older thrillers were more… thrilling. The new productions are rather predictable and copy-pasted. So if you want to see a classic, try to solve a mysterious case and join an insomnia simulator – this film should satisfy all those needs.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Well, murder can be an art, too. “Rope” (1948)

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directed by Alfred Hitchcock
© 1948 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Give men a rope and they’ll come up with the most ridiculous thing ever… Today, I’d like to recommend you a film by the king of thrill, which is perhaps less popular than the screaming lady in the shower or the creep in the window (although I love both of those). In this story, we get to know Brandon and Phillip (John Dall & Farley Granger), two young men who decide to murder their friend. Apparently, that was a male hobby back then. Why do they want to commit the crime? Is this poor guy some enemy of theirs? Not at all. Brandon and Phillip want to prove that they are better than others and in order to feel so, they dream of a murder that nobody will even solve. It requires incredible intelligence, cleverness and control over oneself and everything else. After killing the victim with a rope (that’s the toy from the title!), they hide the body in a wooden chest and… organise a party in the flat. Insane? Oh yeah. But also quite intriguing. You see, committing a crime is easy, but playing with fire and controlling it – that’s a different story. The murderers feel incredible joy and pride seeing all the guests at the crime scene, so unaware and innocent… The rest is for you to see, but get ready for a psychological rollercoaster. Some may say that nothing really happens in the film, which is kind of true, but the real action takes place in the minds of the characters and also your own mind as a viewer. You may realise that no matter how long we analyse motives behind crimes, people will always suprise you with someting unique. It’s a great production for a longer discussion or a movie club. Also, Hitchcock played with fire himself because in the 1940s he managed to make a film about homosexuals. Well, it’s not officially stated anywhere in the script, but the crew working on the production had no doubts about their intentions. Although the actual criminals, Leopold and Loeb, who murdered a teenager in 1924 weren’t ever considered a romantic couple. Haven’t I mentioned that “Rope” is based on a real story? Well… are you surprised? Strage people have been here since forever, so you better watch out and check any possible chests.

My rating: 7/10
S.

He ain’t schtulpig. “Witness” (1985)

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directed by Peter Weir
© 1985 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Who would have thought that criminals want to catch an Amish boy… Interested? So let me tell you more. We’re going back to the 80s, where we can admire Indiana Jones in a bit different costume and role. Detective John Book (Harrison Ford) has to solve the case of an Amish boy, Samuel (Lukas Haas), who’s been a witness of a murder. The boy doesn’t recognise the murderer among the criminals he gets to see, but at some point he focuses on a police officer. When Book starts digging, he realises that the same officer has had some shady business with drug dealers. The more the detective analyses the case, the more he puts himself in trouble. It’s because several colleagues turn out to be untrustworthy, so it seems like Book has to count on himself only. And the Amish boy. Speaking of Samuel, since he recognises the murderer, his life is in danger. That is why Book drives the boy and his mother to their Amish community village, but due to unexpected events, he stays there for longer. I’m a sucker for those action films from the 80s, because they remind me of my childhood. This one is quite specific, because not only we get an exciting crime story to follow, but also there’s a culture and tolerance lesson there. The Amish are seen as extreme believers, who give up on common goods in order to life simply and in accordance with their values. To most of us it may seem ridiculous, but thanks to this film we may learn more about their community. I’m not saying you have to throw your mobile phone away and start milking cows in the middle of nowhere, but perhaps a bit of communication and understanding would be helpful for both sides. Anyway, Harrison is magnificent, as always, so there’s no way you will get bored watching this production. Make sure to find out who wins – corrupted police officers or a smart Amish boy?

My rating: 7/10
S.

It’s easier to pull the trigger than play guitar. “Desperado” (1995)

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directed by Robert Rodriguez
© 1995 Sony Pictures Releasing. All Rights Reserved.

You know how we say that something cost us an arm and a leg? Well, this film and its director are a good example. To be exact, Robert Rodriguez firstly made a very low-budget film titled “El Mariachi”, which got noticed by producers and that led to making “Desperado”, with not such a low budget anymore. However, in order to make that first film of his, Rodriguez was earning money by being a human guinea pig in a laboratory. Scientists were making tests on him and paying for that. I’m so glad he didn’t get hurt during the process, because we wouldn’t have got “Spy Kids”, which was definitely one of my favourite action films when I was a child. Anyway, risking his life was apparently worth it, because after making the first film, he began his quite impressive career and gave us “Desperado”, the second part of his Mexican trilogy. In fact, this part is surely the most popular and perhaps even the best of them all, but feel free to watch them and have your own opinion. The story of this part focuses on Manito (Antonio Banderas), known as El Mariachi, whose lover was killed by a drug lord. The man is going for a revenge and he does that with a very attractive companion named Carolina (Salma Hayek). We have a mysterious guitar player, we have a beautiful lady, we have a bad guy, we have cringy zoom ins, catchy music and a truly Mexican romance. Boom, a success. I’m not a fan of westerns and such action films, but I have to say that “Desperado” is a classic. It was yet the time when Antonio Banderas didn’t speak good English, so he was learning his lines phonetically. Imagine the motivation! And the patience of the film crew. But as least they had a laugh together for sure. I’m sure that in the 90s this story and its style must have been a big deal, but nowadays it’s a bit uncomfortable to watch it. Still, we should know classics, so here’s one for you.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Open your mind and invite progress. “Good Boy” (“Heel”, 2025)

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directed by Jan Komasa
© 2025 Signature Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

First of all, I’m a big fan of Jan Komasa, so my post won’t be very objective. He can tell stories about human nature in a way that speaks to me. Also, he chooses perfect people to play his characters and I’m thrilled to see he’s started collaborating with foreign film crews. Today’s film is considered a black comedy, but to me it’s a very good thriller with a terrifying conclusion. But first things first, we get to know Tommy (Anson Boon), a reckless teenager, who shares his quite parasite-like life on the internet. One night he overuses way too many things and ends up being kidnapped. At the same time, we get to know Chris (Stephen Graham), his wife Kathryn (Andrea Riseborough) and their son Jonathan (Kit Rakusen). They are an ordinary family that interviews Rina (Monika Frajczyk), a young woman of Macedonian origins, who’s applied to be their housekeeper. Everything seems to be going well until they show her the cellar and there’s Tommy chained and unconcious inside. The woman obviously wants to escape the house, but Chris has a very good argument for her to stay. Rina has been having troubles with her visa and if she doesn’t accept the job, Chris will make sure to let the right people know about it. And at this point we get three very different characters and their storylines: Tommy – a teenager who’s furious with the world and tries to escape the reality, Rina – an immigrant, who’s blackmailed to doing things against her will to stay safe, and Chris (and his family) – a man having a deep secret and strange motivation to kidnap a problematic 19-year-old. Each of those characters adds to the general story and I believe it wouldn’t be complete without them all. The film may seem a bit ridiculous and there are some funny moments, but if you reflect on the ending, it’s reminds of a horribly dark reality. Sometimes in life we don’t choose between good and evil, but between evil and lesser evil. Also, relations may stay incredibly strong, despite their often pathological nature. Great British debut, waiting for more!

My rating: 7/10
S.

Repression is our vaccine! “Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion” (“Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto”, 1970)

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directed by Elio Petri
© 1970 Euro International Films. All Rights Reserved.

How would you describe your world with one word? It’s simple – “corruption”. No matter where you go, it’s present everywhere. And if you don’t believe it’s so common, let me introduce you to this lovely production that speaks for itself. We get to know a policeman called “Il Dottore” who has recently been promoted and is very much respected in his workplace. The man comes up with a quite extravagant idea – he murders his mistress and wants to be arrested by his colleagues. He even gives obvious clues to make the investigation ridiculously easy for the policemen, but… they don’t accuse him of anything. What’s more, they are so sure of his innocence that they ignore all the signs of his involvement in the crime. Il Dottore becomes very irritated and comes up with more and more ideas to direct his colleagues’ attention to him. But in the world of corruption, if you’re one of us, nobody dares to act against you. Generally, it’s a comedy, so you may have a good laugh and make fun of silly policemen who are so stupid not to point out the apparent murderer, but at the same time you may start reflecting on the danger of such mindset. Because it’s not about those officers’ skills – it’s about the way they think. We’re so convinced by the way someone presents themselves and how strong our connection is that there’s absolutely no way this noble person could do evil. Also, we tend to believe those in power that they must be trustworthy since they’ve got to the top. And the reality tends to be way different. If you don’t think too much, this film can be very entertaining. But if you’re in the mood for questioning the sense of our existence – then it’ll also work. A great performance by Gian Maria Volonté and a big bowl of food for thought.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Scooby-dooby-doo. “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (2025)

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directed by Rian Johnson
© 2025 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to day 4 of 2026! How many of your resolutions are already postponed to 2027? Come on, be honest, we know how things work. I just hope that you’ll be regularly checking my blog and watching lots of good films. The rest can be done later. Let’s begin the year with something funny, thrilling and mysterious – so retired 007, Daniel Craig, playing Sherlock Holmes. This is the third film of the Knives Out series, where we follow Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who each time has a different crime to investigate. If you haven’t seen the previous two parts – no worries, because it’s made in a similar way like other detective stories, so each part is a separate story. In this one, I’m taking you to church (just like Hozier wanted – wink, wink), where a young priest Jud (Josh O’Connor) becomes an assistant of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Since it’s a little town they serve in, new things aren’t very welcome here. Still, Jud notices Jefferson’s strange behaviour that influences the parishioners and he tries to make some changes, which is difficult on many levels. One day, Jefferson gets murdered in an unusual way and, obviously, Jud is the main suspect. However, here comes our mastermind Benoit Blanc whose job is to learn about this village’s secrets and find the actual murderer. I’ve seen all three parts of the series and as much as I enjoyed the first one, the second film wasn’t that exciting. So I didn’t feel like checking out the third part, but somehow I did out of boredom and actually got surprised. In my opinion, it’s almost as good as the first one. The mystery is so weird and complex that it makes it even funnier to be solving it. Not to mention the magnificent cast that you could watch for hours. I guess I had extra fun because not that long time ago I took part in a city game where the main task was to solve the mystery of a stolen object in a church. It was all made up, obviously, but we had to analyse how the thief actually managed to hide, steal and escape. So this film reminded me of that game and I was watching it thinking “yeah, Blanc, I know how you’re feeling, been there, done that.” I believe this is an awesome title to begin your year with. Let’s just hope you won’t need to wake up any dead men in 2026. Crossing my fingers for that.

My rating: 7/10
S.

Daddy, are you there? “Clean, Shaven” (1993)

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directed by Lodge Kerrigan
© 1993 DreamWorks Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

We’ve just lost Peter Greene, a very characteristic actor known from “Pulp Fiction” or “Mask”, but today, in order to remember his work, I’d like to recommend you a film you probably haven’t heard of. In this story, we get to know Peter Winter, a man suffering from schizophrenia, who’s just left a mental institution and is about to start his life in the real world. He actually has a daughter that has been adopted by another family and he wishes to find her. But, as you can imagine, with his disorder, it’s a big challenge. Generally, this film was made to present what schizophrenia looks like from the perspective of a person suffering from it. Some critics say it looks horrible, dark and disturbing – but hey, that’s what mental illnesses look like, you know? Luckily, I’m not schizophrenic myself, but the topic of mental issues is close to me, so I was very curious how the director created the character of Peter. And in my opinion, he did a marvellous job. Do you know that 1 in about 300 people in the world has schizofrenia? And no, they aren’t all in hospitals or any other institutions. Many of them live among us, struggling to survive and not let the disorder exclude them from the society. It’s an everyday battle that healthy people can’t understand. That is why I’m glad and thankful for this film, because it may actually open your eyes and make you realise what it’s like to fight with your own mind. It’s very raw and realistic, so if you’re a sensitive person, then make sure you’re ready to experience it. Peter Greene had an incredibly difficult task as an actor, yet he nailed it. I had chills watching him, which means he’s either very talented or spent a lot of time preparing. Could be both. Anyway, what else makes this film important? It spreads a message that we shouldn’t judge the book by its cover. I know, I know, boring phrases. But just think about it – even if we’re aware of that, we still tend to misjudge others. If a homeless person approaches you on the street, what’s your first thought? I bet it’s “oh they’re an addict who needs money for more alcohol/drugs”. Do such people exist? Yes, but it doesn’t mean everyone shares the same story. The same with mental illnesses – they don’t define people, so please, be open-minded and try to get to know the person before creating their picture in your head. A very important film for humanity, so make sure to watch it. Peter Greene – rest in peace.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Welcome to the headquarters of the human resistance. “Bugonia” (2025)

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directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
© 2025 Focus Features. All Rights Reserved.

With each new film, I like Lanthimos more and more. I have to admit that I wasn’t such a big fan of his productions before. To me those were good ideas, but in the end I was a bit disappointed with the final outcome. However, his latest films are totally my cup of tea, and “Bugonia” excited me way more than I’d expected. At the beginning, we follow Michelle (Emma Stone), who’s a CEO of a pharmaceutical company, and one day she’s kidnapped by two men – Teddy and Don (Jesse Plemons & Aidan Delbis). When the woman wakes up in a basement, she notices that her hair has been shaved. One of the kidnappers explains that it’s to prevent Michelle from contacting her ship. If you feel confused, no worries – that’s the point. Generally, Teddy believes that he detains an alien who, together with its alien buddies, wants to destroy humanity and… honeybees. And since Teddy’s hobby is beekeeping, then you understand it’s clearly necessary to do something about it. As ridiculous as it seems, the film is fantastic. At first, you have no idea what’s going on and you feel like you’re missing something, but in fact, it’s just such a weird story. Then, you may start questioning the genre of this production, because at one point you laugh, at another you are concerned, and then, when you think nothing will surprise you anymore, Yorgos decides to blow your mind. Personally, I still don’t know exactly what this film is about. Of course, I have lots of scenarios in my head, but I guess I don’t feel like choosing just one option. Also, after watching, I recommend you to read a bit about the ritual of bugonia, so you can find out where the title comes from. It actually helps understanding the whole story, but make sure to watch the film first. Is it the best picture of 2025? I don’t know, but surely it’s on top. Should Emma Stone get another Oscar? I believe so. Maybe I’m not being objective because I adore her as an actress, but she again showed a new set of skills in building the character of Michelle. So if she ends up with her 3rd Oscar, I wouldn’t complain at all. Also, the marketing team did a great job. Apparently, you could find fake materials online about the Michelle’s company and herself. Plus, in Los Angeles there was a special free screening of “Bugonia”, but in order to see the film, you had to be bold. They even provided a barber at the entrance so you could shave your head on the spot. I love it! Would you shave your head?

My rating: 8/10
S.

The bait always dies. “Taking Lives” (2004)

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directed by D. J. Caruso
© 2004 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome to the film where you can see probably the best role of Ethan Hawke (obviously, according to my personal opinion). What’s funny is that the same actor, when asked about the film many years later, said it was “terrible”. Oh well… I mean, I wouldn’t say it was terrible. But first, let me say a few words about the plot. So we begin by watching two teenage boys who meet on a bus and this way we get to know the antagonist – the details are for you to see, no spoilers. Over twenty years later, Illeana Scott (Angelina Jolie), an FBI agent, is trying to catch a very sneaky murderer. The man steals his victims identities, which makes it difficult to find him. It looks as if each crime was committed by someone else, but it’s still the same guy. At some point she interviews James Costa (Ethan Hawke), who was a witness of the latest murder, and the man becomes a very important person in this case. In fact, except being helpful in tracking the murderer, he bonds with Illeana on a personal level. From now on, the woman has to be incredibly careful, because her new companion might actually be in danger. So, let’s get back to Hawke’s opinion – I wouldn’t say it’s a terrible film. It’s actually a quite entertaining story with plot twists and great acting. I felt engaged and liked the ending very much, which isn’t that common for me when I watch thrillers. However, in my opinion, this story could have been told in a more attractive way. I didn’t feel enough thrills to consider it an actual thriller. It was a nice production, but I feel like the director didn’t make a thriller that it should be out of it. Still, if you’re looking for some action, brilliant actors, some suspense and a mystery to solve – then you will enjoy it for sure. Perhaps someone could remake it in the future and make it darker, more intense? That’s just a humble suggestion from my side.

My rating: 7/10
S.